Drilling apparatus



Nov. 12, 1935. G J, BARRE-'FT Er AL `2,020,599

DRILLING APPRATUS Filed March 1,- 1934 Il iIIIIIIIIuy Patented Nov. 12, 1935 DRILLING APPARATUS George J'. Barrett', Houston, and Sosthene Robichaux; Saratoga,k Tex.

Application March 1, 1934, Serial N0.l 713,476

' 7 Claims.

invention, relates to ydrilling apparatus.

An object of,` the' invention is to. provide drilling apparatus comprising a tubular drivingmember having a drill at the lower end thereof provided with novel discharge passageways for discharging the. drilling iluid through the drill.

Another object of the invention is to provide, in drilling apparatus of the character described, a removable bit which is lnsertable into and withdrawable from the main .drill with a novel type of head having means for locking the bit in place, said locking means being releasable to permitthe withdrawal of the bit.

Another object of the invention is to provide,

in drilling apparatus of the character described, a core barrel which may be substituted for the bit when the latter is withdrawn and which may be 1 releasably anchored and locked in the driving member by the same head employed for securing the bit therein.

Another object of the invention is to provide ln drilling apparatus a head having a novel type of locking means mounted therein.

With the above and other objects in view, the

invention has particular relation to certain novel features of construction, operation and arrangement of parts, an example of which is given in this specification and illustrated in the accompanying drawing, wherein: i

Figure 1 shows a fragmentary vertical sectional View of the apparatus.

Figure 2 shows a fragmentary vertical sectional view of the lower end thereof.

Figure 3 shows a bottom end view.

Figure 4 shows a cross sectional View taken on the line 4 4 of Figure 1.

Figure 5 shows a side elevation of the head.

Figure 6 shows a cross sectional view thereof taken on the line 6-6 of Figure 5, and' Figure 'l shows a vertical sectional view of the core barrel.

In the drawing the numeral I designates the drill which has-a central axial bore 2 whose lower end is reduced forming the annular inside seat 3.

The drillis attached to the lower end of the tubular driving member comprising a drill collar 4, the coupling 5 and theldrill stem 6, said stem being of a length to extend to the ground surface.

The upper end of the drill collar 4 is internally threaded and a driving ring 'I is screwed therein, said ring having the depending driving lugs 8, 8. The coupling 5 is screwed into the upper end of the drill collar and abuts said driving ring 1, and has a smaller inside diameter than that of the drill collar 4.

There is a tubular barrel 9 whose lower end may be: seated on the seat 3 and which may be used interchangeably with the core barrel I0 hereinafter more specifically described. When the barrel 9 is employed a bit II may be attached to :l`

-neath the upper end or said barrel and being 15 ilared and serrated or notched as at I3 to provide l passageways for the drilling uid.

The upper end oi' the barrel 9 has a iluid inlet I4 and the pilot bit has discharge channels I5 therethrough providing for the discharge of the 20 drilling fluid on opposite sides of said bit. The drill I may be formed with radiating blades I6 and is provided with discharge channels I 1 through which the drilling fluid passing down between the housing I2 and the drill collar 4 may 25 be discharged at the'bottom of the bore. The channels I1 through the drill head terminate in elongated trough like depressions I8 'ln the forward faces of the blades I6 and diverge relative to the axis of lthe drill. While drilling, particu- 30 larly in sticky formation, the formation will pass up the forward sides of the blades and the drilling uid will emerge beneath said formation and will force the formation off of said blades'and will keep the blades freed from the formation being 35 drilled.

When it is desired to take a core the bit I I may be withdrawn and the core barrel Ill substituted and when in place the lower end of the core barrel will rest on the seat 3 so that the core or sample 40, may readily enter said barrel. 'Ihe upper end of the core barrel I0 has a cage I9 attached thereto -provided with the outlets 2U, 2| normally closed by the upwardly opening valve 22 which is nor- 45 mally maintained seated by the vpressure spring 23. In the lower end `of the core barrel there is a core catcher which, in the present illustration, is shown as a ring 24 having the upstandlng inwardly curved iiexible lingers 25. As the core 50 enters the barrel the lingers will spread apart to permit its passage and the air or water in the barrel above ,the core will pass out through the passageways 20, 2l the valve lifting to permit this.

Means are provided for anchoring the barrel 9, 55

. tween the arms above said pivots is the pressure spring 29 whose ends are seated in sockets in the inner sides of said arms as shown in Figure 1. The upper ends of said arms are inwardly offset and reduced `in thickness and overlap as shown in Figures 1, 4 and 5 and the outer sides of the overlapping ends have the V-shaped notches 30, 30 .forming the upwardly diverging bearing faces 3l, 3l. The upper end of the head 26 is reduced forming a cylindrical neck 32. 'Ihe upper end of this neck has a transverse longitudinally .elongated slot 33. Fitted over the neck 32 there is a hood 34 having the side outlets 35 at its upper end and whoseupper end carries :a stem 36 which terminates in a conical shaped anchor 31. A pin 38 has its ends anchored to the hood 34 and works through the slot 33. The hood has the side slots 39, 39 through which the upper ends of the locking arms 28 project. The lower ends of the slots 39 are' formed with the upwardly flared bearing .faces 40 adapted to work against the corresponding faces 3| of the locking arms.

With the driving member and drill I attached thereto, in the `bore the head 2E may be conl nected to' the upper end of the barrel 9 or l0 as desired and said barrel let down into the drill st em. When the barrel lands, on the seat 3 'the external shoulders 4l oi the arms 28 will have passed beneath the ring 1 and the arms 28 will be forced outwardly by the spring 29 into the paths of the driving lugs 8 and said shoulders will engage underneath the ring 1 to lock the barrel in p laceand the driving lugs 8 will engageA the arms 28 to cause the barrel to rotate with the tubular driving member. It is to be noted that the arms 28 lit snugly in the slot 21 and are thus supported by the sides of said slot so that said arms will not be twisted or broken oil under the tortional strain to which they are subjected.

As above indicated the barrel 9 carrying the bit II may be lowered into place when it is desired to prosecute ordinary drilling and when it is desired to take a core this barrel 9 and the bit Il may be withdrawn and the core barrel l0 substituted.

When it is desired to withdraw the barrel 9 and bit Il, or the core barrel I0 a suitable overshot may be loweredby means of a cable down through the drill stem and engaged with the anchor 31. An upward pull on the' cable will first elevate the hood 34 into the position shown in Figure 5' and the bearing faces 40 operating .against the` bearing faces 3| will cause the arms 28 to move inwardly into the position shown in Figure 6 so as to clearthe ring 1 and the head 26 and'ba-rrel carried thereby may then be read- .ily withdrawn from the well.

Thedrawing and description. disci-cse what is now considered to be a pr ferred form of the invention by way of illustration only while the broad principle of the invention will be defined ends are pivoted to the head, an actuator which works over the upper. end of the head, and has a limited movement relative to the head, yieldable means between the arms and normally 'holding the arms outwardly, said actuator and arms havli ing coacting parts effective to move lthe arms inwardly upon movement of the actuator upwardly.

' 2. Well drilling apparatus comprising a drill having a central axial bore, a tubular driving member to the lower end of which the drill is l0 attached, a pilot bit within and extended beneath the bore, said drill and bit having separate channels therethrough through which drilling fluid may pass from within the driving member into the well bore, said pilot bit being insertable down- 15 wardly into, and withdrawable upwardly from. the bore and releasable means -for locking the bit in place in the drill.

3. In a drilling apparatus, a head having a transverse slot, locking arms in said'slot whose 20 lower ends are pivoted to the head, an actuator which works over the upper end of the head and has a limited movement relative to the head, yieldable means normally holding the arms outwardly, said actuator 'and arms having co-acting 25 parts eiective to move the arms inwardly upon movement of the actuator upwardly.

4. A well drilling apparatus comprising a. drill having a lcentral axial bore, a tubular driving member to the lower end of whichvthe drill is 30 attached, a pilot bit in the bore, said drill and bit 'having separate channels therethrough through which drilling fluid may pass from `with in the driving member into the well, said pilot bit being insertable downwardly into and Withdrawable upwardly from the bore, and releasable means for locking the bit in place in the drill. i

5. A well drilling apparatus comprising a, drill having an approximately axial bore, a tubular driving member to the lower end of which the drill is attached, a. separate bit 1n the bore of the drill, said bit having a channel through which drilling fluid may pass from within the driving member into the well' bore, said bit being insert- 45 able downwardly into and withdrawable up- Wardly from the drill bore and releasable means for locking the bit in place in the drill.

. 6. A well drilling apparatus comprising a. drill having an approximately axial bor'e provided 50 with an insideseat adjacent its lower end. said drill having cutters, a tubular driving member to the lower end of which the drill is attached, central drilling means including a blt at its lower end and insertable downwardly through the driving member to, land the central drilling means on the seat with the bit in the drill bore, and withdrawable upwardly through the driving member, while the drill is in the well; said drill and said central drilling means having separate channels through one of which drillingl fluid may pass from within the driving member to the drill cutters, and through the other of which drilling fluid may pass from Within the driving member to the central bit, and releasable means for securing the central drilling means in place in the apparatus.

7. A well drilling apparatus comprising a drill having an approximately axial bore provided withan inside seat adjacent the lower end of the drill, said-drill having cutters, a tubular drill stem to the lower end of which the drill is attached, central drilling means including a boring member at its lower end and insertable downwardly through the drill stem to land the central :masso drilling means on said seat with the boring member in the drill bore, and withdrawable upwardly through -the drill tem, while the drill is in the well, said drilling apparatus having separate' 5 channels. one through the drill through which drilling fluid may pass from within the drill stem to the drill cutters, and the other being arranged to conduct drilling fluid from within the drill stem to the central boring member, and releasabie means' for securing the central drilling means in place in the apparatus.

GEORGE J. BARRETI. sos'rHENE RoBIcHAUx. 

